Wednesday, September 14, 2016

‘Rock star’ Baltimore librarian makes history at Library of Congress

The usually quiet atrium of the Enoch Pratt Free Library came alive with laughter and cheers last month as hundreds gathered to say goodbye to a Baltimore official known to many as “Doc.”

It was an astonishing display of affection for the Pratt’s departing leader, Carla D. Hayden, who is being sworn in Wednesday as the new head of the Library of Congress. Many dismiss urban libraries as outdated and irrelevant, yet Baltimore residents and civic leaders were celebrating the Pratt and Hayden, who captained its resurgence.

“She’s like a rock star,” said Maureen O’Neill, a librarian at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, a city high school. “To see a librarian exalted and appreciated is very touching.”

City residents and Pratt employees gathered alongside current and former trustees of the Pratt, city officials and members of Maryland’s congressional delegation to wish Hayden well. She seemed to know them all by name.

“As my grandmother said, ‘It’s mutual between us,’ ” Hayden said later. “It’s a city that really grabs you. They’re just good people.”

After 23 years as Pratt’s chief executive, Hayden, 64, will make history today as she becomes the first woman and the first African American to run the nation’s library. Founded in 1800, the library is the largest in the world, with 162 million items in its collection. It also provides research and legal advice for members of Congress and oversees the U.S. Copyright Office.

Hayden succeeds James H. Billington, a Reagan appointee who retired last year.

No comments:

Pages

Thank you for supporting the library budget

The Friends of the Albany Public Library thank you for voting YES on the library budget in 2016.

Welcome

The Friends of the Albany Public Library have meetings several times a year, to which the public is always invited. 5 :00 to 6:00 pm Place: Community Room 1 on the second floor of the Main Branch, APL.

Book reviews and other events every Tuesday at noon in the Main Branch.

Quote

"I must say that I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on,I go to the library and read a book."

Consider a Gift to the Annual Appeal

The Albany Public Library changes lives, answering life's most complex questions and serving as the public's destination for social, intellectual and cultural discourse.

As our world changes, Albany's libraries face new challenges with increased demand for more books, materials, and programs housed in aging and outdated facilities.That's why your annual contribution is so important.

Your gifts to the library though The Albany Public Library Foundation means the difference between adequate libraries and great libraries. With private support, we can expand our collections and services to include more of what customers want in materials, technology, and programs.

So, look for the Annual Appeal information in the mail.We thank you.

Donations can be sent to Albany Public Library Foundation, 161, Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12210.Credit Card contributions can be processed by calling 518-427-4346.